Sourdough pumpkin muffins are a great way to incorporate pumpkin into your baking - and use your sourdough starter for something a little different!
You can use canned pumpkin puree or make your own - the choice is yours! Just like you can use your discard - or an active sourdough starter for these muffins too!
With a subtle hint of spice, these sourdough pumpkin muffins will become family favorites in no time! One of my sons, who will not eat pumpkin, will happily eat these muffins!
I've also added a lovely cinnamon orange glaze, which really takes these sourdough pumpkin muffins to the next level! It takes seconds to make and drizzle over. But if you'd prefer your pumpkin muffins plain, you can certainly leave this step out or top them with this spiced pumpkin cream cheese spread.
How To Make Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
Like most sourdough muffins, pumpkin sourdough muffins are super easy to put together. There are a few extra ingredients in these to ensure they taste extra special!
These sourdough muffins use both oil and butter in the mixture. The oil give you a lovely crunchy exterior and tender inside. The butter adds richness and flavor to the muffins.
For an added flavor twist, I've added an orange cinnamon glaze to these muffins. It's completely optional. They taste great without it (and if you're making them for the kids, you might want to leave it out). But they are extra special with it drizzled over!
Here's the easy process to make sourdough pumpkin muffins:
- Preheat your oven.
- Mix the sourdough starter, eggs, oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla together in a bowl. Make sure you mix them together really well and that the eggs are well beaten.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, spices and sugar in a separate bowl.
- Now pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Use a spatula and mix them until they are just combined – do not over mix!!
- Spoon the muffin batter into a greased 12 hole muffin tin.
- Bake until golden.
- While the muffins are baking, mix the powdered sugar and orange juice together.
- Spoon the glaze over the sourdough muffins while they are still hot in the muffin tin.
- Allow the glaze to soak in and the muffins to cool before removing from the tin.
Using Pumpkin in Sourdough Baking
Pumpkin puree is a much loved inclusion in sourdough baking. It's rich sweetness and color offers many uses. In baked goods like muffins and cakes, it adds both sweetness and moisture to the final product.
You can use either canned pumpkin puree, or a homemade version. If you have canned puree available in your part of the world, it is definitely the easiest option.
However, if you need to make it from fresh pumpkin, it's really not hard. You'll find instructions on how to do it here.
You can also use pumpkin puree in these Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls or this easy Pumpkin Sourdough Bread. These Sourdough Pumpkin Dinner Rolls are also delicious, as are these sourdough pumpkin bagels and sourdough pumpkin waffles!
Flavor Variations for Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
While these sourdough muffins with pumpkin puree taste great just as they are, there are a few things you can do to create different versions of this sourdough discard recipe.
Here are a few ideas for you to try:
- substitute caster sugar for brown sugar for a lighter flavor.
- add some pumpkin seeds (pepitas) to the dry ingredient mix for a pumpkin crunch! They also add a seasonal flair when added to top after the glaze.
- top the muffin mixture with crushed walnuts before popping them in the oven. The toasted walnuts will love to be drizzled with that orange cinnamon glaze!
- add cranberries to the dry ingredient mixture before you pour in the liquid ingredients. The gorgeous pink hue of cranberries adds a lovely touch to these sourdough pumpkin muffins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sourdough muffins can be a healthier option than regular muffins - however despite containing some of the fermented sourdough starter, they do still contain sugar, oil and butter. Typically, sourdough muffins are not long fermented. Instead they use the prefermented sourdough starter in the mix, which is mixed and baked straight away.
Sourdough starter is extremely versatile. You can create many different options, including cakes, muffins, breads, pancakes, flat breads - the list is endless! You'll find a tonne of ways to use your sourdough discard here.
Discard is an essential part of building a thriving sourdough starter. It ensures that the starter does not take over kitchen in volume, but also reduces the acidity of the starter, which is incredibly important. You'll find more information on why discard is essential here.
Sourdough bread is incredibly versatile and you can add all sorts of things to it. Pumpkin puree is a popular inclusion in sourdough bread and creates a wonderfully rich colored, moist loaf. You'll find a tonne of ideas for things to add to sourdough bread here.
Further Reading
Love this recipe? You might enjoy these sourdough ideas!
- Easy sourdough pumpkin bread
- Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
- Pumpkin Sourdough Crackers
- Pumpkin Sourdough Grissini
- Sourdough Zucchini Muffins with cheese + chives
- Sourdough Lemon Muffins
- Sourdough Gingerbread Muffins
- Sourdough Apple & Cinnamon Muffins
Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Digital Scales
- 12 Hole Muffin Tin
Ingredients
- 150 g Sourdough Starter Discard or Active Starter
- 200 g All Purpose Flour
- 200 g Pumpkin Puree canned or homemade
- 100 g Brown sugar
- 50 g Butter
- 50 g Vegetable Oil Light flavor
- 2 Eggs
- 6 g Baking Powder (1 tsp)
- 5 g Vanilla Extract
- 5 g Salt (1 tsp)
- 3 g Cinnamon (1 tsp)
- 1 g Nutmeg (¼ tsp)
Orange Cinnamon Glaze
- 50 g Powdered sugar
- 20 g Orange Juice freshly squeezed
- 3 g Cinnamon (1 tsp)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F and grease a 12 hole muffin tin with butter.
- Mix the sourdough starter, pumpkin puree, 2 eggs, vanilla extract, butter and oil in a bowl. Whisk together until well combined. It's ok if the oil sits on the top, it will combine once it is poured into the dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl mix together all purpose flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar.
- Now pour the liquid ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients. Gently fold together until just mixed - don't over mix or the muffins will be tough.
- Spoon mixture into greased muffin tin. This recipe will fill a 12 hole muffin (each hole around ¾ full).
- Bake at 180C/350F for approximately 20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.
- While the muffins are baking, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon and juice of an orange into a bowl and stir together to form the glaze.
- Once the muffins are done, take out of the oven and spoon over the glaze while the muffins are still warm.
- Cool muffins on a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
These muffins were absolutely delicious. I didn't do the glaze but just sprinkled some cinnamon sugar on top before putting them in the oven. Absolutely yum!
Fantastic recipe. I used my discard. We decided to use pumpkin pie spice in lieu of the cinnamon and nutmeg. I used a tablespoon worth as welcome the flavor. Huge hit. We also did not do the glaze. I have already made these twice.
Amazing sourdough pumpkin muffins. I didn’t have any orange so I did not make the glaze. I put brown sugar mix with cinnamon as suggested by Joanne. So moist and delicious. Approved by hubby and son. Will make it again.